Stand
by AryaTyrell
Summary: Starfire has to be sent to the hospital because she's been bullied...severely. The rest of the Titans are stressing, and secrets are being revealed...
1. Chapter 1

**Yayy! My first Teen Titans fic! **

**ARE YOU EXCITED? BE EXCITED! :D **

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><p>Starfire backed up against the wall. She crouched low, her hands covering her head, gripping her red hair hard. She could only wait, for now. Wait for the painful kicks to her stomach and sides subsided to a dull throb. She let the hurtful words be tossed at her, one after another, as though by a slingshot. Starfire knew it was useless. She could ignore everything now, but all the pain and hurt it had inflicted would come to her later.<p>

The H.I.V.E. Five stood before her in the dark alleyway, their faces looming in front of her. They were all smiling cruelly, as if this were regular entertainment for them. It was, in a way. Starfire was a normal and easy target for them. She was the weakest of the Titans, and was the easiest to pick on. Unlike so many others.

Starfire bit her lip to fight the urge to cry out as an especially hard blow hit her ribs. She doubled over, her eyes widening in fear and pain, and her breath came out shallow and rasping. And then, for a split second, she listened to what they had to say.

"Oh my gosh. How did you even make it to the Titans? You're just so weak," Jinx laughed incredulously, unable to believe anyone could be so pathetic. "How can you even consider yourself a Titan? You're so…so…"

"Worthless?" Gizmo offered.

"There's the word I was looking for!" Jinx feigned happiness.

Starfire knew she should just fly away, but she couldn't. Flying required a happy thought, and certainly nothing here was happy. It was the same for starbolts. She bit the inside of her cheek, and that's when she made a mistake: she believed them.

Mammoth's fist pummeled to her nose, and the metallic scent of blood filled the air. Her stomach churned as it rushed down her throat, making her nauseous. Mammoth's fingers gripped Starfire's hair, thrusting her upwards from her spot on the wall. Starfire squirmed and kicked and tried to move out of the way as punch after punch mutilated her face.

"You have some good friends, don't you, Star?" Mammoth said. "You think Beastboy, Cyborg, Raven, and Robin like you? Don't even get me started on Robin!" Her tormentor let out a gut-wrenching laugh, twisting Starfire's heart. "That they would hang out with such a loser? So tell me this. If they're your friends, where are they now?"

Tears welled in Starfire's vibrant green eyes, and they slowly trickled down her nose. What Mammoth had said was right. Where were they?

Starfire's vision blackened around the edges. Then, she couldn't remember anything.

When Starfire next shuddered to life, she was curled up on the cold pavement of the alleyway. When she tried to move, a wave of nausea rolled over her. She gasped, waiting for the moment to pass.

"Starfire!" the sudden voice startled the defeated girl. She wanted to call out, ask how much they'd seen, but she no longer had the energy. Beastboy, Cyborg, and Raven rushed to console her limp figure, but she scrambled away.

"G-Go away!" she stammered, looking at the ground to avoid their eyes. The three tried again to get her, but got similar results.

"Let us help you, Starfire!" Beastboy pleaded, but when Starfire didn't answer he said more forcefully, "Let us help you!"

"No!" she screamed, her hands over her head again. "NO!"

"Star…" Cyborg looked down at her. Her nickname made her look up. "We just want you better," he said, offering a weak smile.

Suddenly Starfire felt the freezing Gotham air, and shivered. Raven offered her deep, midnight blue cloak, but Starfire shook her head vigorously. "No," she said, still refusing their help.

"Starfire," Raven sighed,"This is the one time I'm being nice to you. Take it." Starfire took the cloak wordlessly and wrapped it tightly around herself. Cyborg pulled out his Titan communicator, and cursed at the lousy signal. He wandered away in search of better signal and to call the ambulance.

Starfire traced designs in the dirt in front of her. "How much did you see?" she asked finally, to break the silence.

Beastboy lied his ass off. "Not much."

"You're lying," Starfire muttered, half mortified, half horrified.

"Yeah."

They sat in silence for a little while more, before Starfire asked another question. "What time is it?"

"4 AM," Raven replied. There was a pause. "Starfire… why didn't you tell us?"

"I… I didn't want to bother you…" she said, looking down at her feet.

"Why would you think that?" Beastboy wondered.

"Because. We have so many crimes to solve, so many villains to stop." She brought her knees to her chest. "It felt like… if I burdened you with my troubles, it would seem a little… selfish of me."

"Aw, Starfire. You still should have told us. How long has this been going on?" Beastboy asked her.

"Maybe… a couple of months?"

Both Raven's and Beastboy's mouths dropped open. "A couple _months_?" Starfire nodded, her expression unreadable.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. The tears started again, this time flowing more quickly now. She buried her face in her arms, shaking with the weight of her sobs. "I'm so sorry!"

Beastboy put a supportive arm around her, and after nudging his head towards her, Raven did the same. They shared another look. This was _not _going to be easy to explain to Robin.


	2. Chapter 2

Robin's communicator rang, echoing in the empty silence of his room. Without looking, he reached over to his bedside and felt around for the little device. Then he checked the ID. _Cyborg_, it read. Robin's brow furrowed in confusion. Why would Cyborg be calling at this hour? Regardless, he answered.

"Hey, Robin, you still awake?" Cyborg's anxious voice came through.

"Barely." Robin glanced at his clock. "Jeez, it's 4 in the morning. Why are you calling me?"

"Listen, Robin." Cyborg sounded like his dog had died. "Starfire's in the hospital."

Robin shot up in bed. "_What?_"

"Don't get mad!" Cyborg involuntarily yelled.

Robin's eye twitched. "Who?"

"The H.I.V.E. Five," Cyborg continued timidly. "What? Are you going _now?_" Robin was already at the mirror, hurriedly raking a comb through his inky black hair.

"Cyborg, I'll be there in fifteen minutes," was the last thing Robin said.

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><p>Cyborg stared at the darkened screen. <em>Call Ended,<em> it flashed.

"So what did Robin say?" Beastboy asked fearfully.

"He's coming," Cyborg replied stiffly.

"What? Now?"

"That's what I said." Cyborg said grimly. "And you know Robin will take this harder than anyone else."

"Whoa. Man," was all Beastboy could say.


	3. Chapter 3

At 4:35 A.M., Robin, Cyborg, Beastboy, and Raven were the only people still in the ER waiting room. The foursome were dying for news on Starfire, and the waiting was killing them. Robin, who just could not sit still, was pacing the room back and forth. Raven sat meditating, her eyes closed, and was levitating a few inches from her chair. Cyborg was lazily reading the new issue of _Sports Illustrated, _and Beastboy kept changing animals, from a rhino to a unicorn to a parrot.

"She's gonna be okay, right Robin?" Beastboy suddenly asked his friend, in the form of a monkey. Robin stopped pacing to look at him.

"I don't know," he admitted truthfully, and bit his lip. Robin was the leader- wasn't he supposed to know everything about his friends? The fact that he didn't know what happened to Starfire scared him. What else was she keeping from him? That question hurt the most.

Suddenly the door leading to the many, many rooms in the ER opened, revealing a doctor clad in the classic white lab coat and stethoscope. "You can see Starfire now," he announced. All of them pounced through the doorway straightaway. "Room 6699!" the doctor called after them.

"Okay," said Cyborg as room numbers flew past them. "6580… 6678… 6699!" he yelped. All of them skidded to a halt (except Raven, who was flying, of course). Then they all stood there in silence, neither wanting to go into that room anymore.

"So," Beastboy gulped, "Who wants to go first?"

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><p>Cyborg, like Raven, was feeling different. He had never fully realized what it was like to be scared. His robotic circuits just didn't process it. Horror movies never scared her, unlike Beastboy and Robin. Even the most gruesome villains didn't freak him out. Now he knew. Being scared was seeing one of your friends, a Titan, who was so strong, look so pale and weak. Being scared was believing that one of your friends might not make it.<p>

Cyborg knew the feeling now. And he hated it.

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><p>Beastboy's stomach clenched, and his chest tightened, making it hard to breathe. Seeing Starfire like this, looking ashen and defeated… it was too much He swayed where he stood, and Cyborg's firm grasp steadied him. But that didn't stop the wave of nausea from crashing on him.<p>

Beastboy ran.

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><p>Raven was feeling something different than usual. As annoying as Starfire was, Raven realized that Starfire had somewhat grown on over the past couple years. She found she could tolerate her incessant chatter a little more, tolerate her weird little larvae thing a little more when it went on her books, tolerate her annoying happy attitude all the time. But it was that attitude that woke Raven from her deep slumber. Starfire had shown her what it was like to see the world, to appreciate it.<p>

Raven sat in a chair wordlessly, eyes glued to the floor.

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><p>Robin walked in slowly into Starfire's room. He'd only made it two steps before he stopped.<p>

Wires peeked out under her hospital gown and bed covers, hooked up to machines surrounding her bed. Needles attached to her pale, almost translucent skin were attached to IV tubes. Her body looked frail, weak, and small in the bed that almost consumed her. Almost every part of her had a bruise or bandage.

Robin fell to his knees, and cried.

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><p>Beastboy finally stopped running when he came to room 6756. His tired limbs gave in to exhaustion, and he collapsed to the cold hospital tile. All this worry and fear had really worn him out, especially so early in the morning. This was serious, and he wasn't good at being serious. He was good at being fun and crazy and video games- not something like this. Beastboy had been to the hospital a lot, but like Raven, this trip was different. Maybe it was because she was put there on purpose. Maybe it was because some of her injuries were <em>weeks <em>old, not fresh.

Or maybe it was because Starfire didn't tell him.

When he and Cyborg had first noticed, it was when Starfire absentmindedly took off her long metal gloves in the living room, way back in January. They were freezing, she said. That was when Cyborg and Beastboy saw the purpling and yellow bruises covering her elbows and her upper arms. When they'd asked about it later, she said she'd slipped on some ice outside.

Beastboy and Cyborg had tried to protect her, they really did. But the way she occasionally limped inside the tower or wince when someone touched her told them they weren't doing such a good job.

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><p>Robin had <em>cried.<em>

If Cyborg had to pick the most terrible moment of his life, it would have been seeing Robin cry. Seeing him so upset just wiped the hope out of him. Even if the doctors said that Starfire was going to be okay, Robin obviously though vice versa, so that meant she wasn't.

Whether or not he and the others were aware of it or not, they all had a child-like dependence on Robin. He was the one who led them through everything, and they had complete faith in him.

Right then and there, Cyborg added to his Bucket List: _Get revenge on H.I.V.E. Five. _


	4. Chapter 4

Starfire's whole body ached. Each movement she made sent a white-hot flash of pain running through her sore limbs. She felt like she had been flipped inside out and had been stomped on.

Starfire had been awake, feigning sleep, for about half an hour. She had woken up to hear Cyborg telling Robin he'd go look for Beastboy, who apparently had run out a little while ago. She could feel Robin's eyes on her as she lay there, waiting for her to wake up. But Starfire knew that when she did, she'd be pelted with questions she didn't even know the answer to yet. She just needed time to think.

_I should have listened to my friends_, she thought. At the time, she'd told herself she didn't want to bother anyone, and that she could handle it on her own. Well, look where that got her.

Tears welled in Starfire's closed eyes. She felt dirty, ashamed, and foolish. She let out a sob, and the next thing she knew, Robin was holding the quaking girl in his arms. "I'm so sorry!" she wailed again, soaking the taller boy's shirt. "Please forgive me!" Robin grabbed her shoulders and squatted to look her in the eye, shocked that Starfire would feel the need to ask for forgiveness.

"You don't have to be sorry, Star," he said, not wanting his friend to feel guilty for a second about getting beaten up.

"You have to forgive me," she blubbered, clearly not hearing what Robin had said. "I'm so sorry!" she repeated.

"Starfire," Robin said, trying to get her attention. "_Starfire!_" he said a little more forcefully. "Look at me._ Look at me!_" his voice cut through the air like a knife, and Starfire obeyed. "You did _nothing _wrong, okay? There's nothing to be sorry for."

"But, but, I'm-I'm not good enough!" the words burst out of her, and she dropped her gaze to the floor in shame. Robin was horrified. How could Starfire think she was not good enough? She was more than good enough, she was… she was… his Starfire! She was _his_ Starfire, who'd saved up for months to get him a new mask for his birthday. She was _his _Starfire, who stayed up all night with him helping study for exams, despite having her own. She was _his _Starfire, who'd saved him countless times. How could Starfire think she was not good enough?

"Starfire… why do you think that?"

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><p>Cyborg sat next to Beastboy, leaning against the wall. "Talk to me," Cyborg instructed him. Beastboy gave up being strong and broke down. His chest constricted, making it hard to breathe.<p>

"I miss her so much," he finally said. His small body shuddered, and he held onto himself even tighter.

Cyborg's brows furrowed. "What do you mean? She's right down the hall…. Um, halls," he corrected himself, realizing how lost they were. He missed Starfire too, but Beastboy seemed completely torn up about it.

"No. She's been gone longer than that," seeing the look on Cyborg's face, he elaborated. "She's been acting different."

"How?" Cyborg asked, confused.

Beastboy took a deep breath. "She's been all nervous and twitchy, you know? Have you noticed when she laughs, it's like it's forced? Starfire can't even smile anymore- it never reaches her eyes! And when she walks or flies somewhere, she's always looking over her shoulder, even when we're walking in a group. And even if someone passes by her, she ducks behind Robin or you."

"Well, how long has this been going on?" Cyborg asked. He'd been oblivious to Starfire's odd behavior, and he had only realized it now.

"I think… six months?" Beastboy squeaked.

"Six months?" Cyborg said in disbelief.

"Yeah. I don't know what's been going on for all that time, but the way she was acting… that's when I definitely picked up something was wrong."

"Well…" Cyborg paused, trying to digest all of this information. "We should get back."

"Yeah," Beastboy agreed.

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><p>Starfire sniffed and spoke very quietly. "They said I…I was…worthless, and I…" she trailed off. "I agreed with them," she finished, barely audible. Robin was speechless. When he got the chance, he was going to <em>strangle<em> each and every member of the H.I.V.E Five.

"Starfire, you're not-" Robin started, but then Cyborg and Beastboy walked in.


	5. Chapter 5

Starfire quickly drew away from Robin, wiping the tears from her eyes. She offered a weak smile at her friends. Luckily, they were too shocked to at their friend being awake than to realize the moment they were walking in on.

There was a short silence, as they tried to process everything that was happening and what they were feeling. "Star?" Cyborg and Beastboy breathed, eyes filled with hope.

"Hello, friends," Starfire said with a shaky smile. It seemed instantaneous. They didn't even remember moving their feet, but suddenly they were all wrapped up in a group hug- including even Raven. A hiss of pain from Starfire made them all break away again.

"Sorry," she winced for the millionth time that night, the all-too familiar feeling of fear settling inside her again. Starfire was awake, and nothing else mattered, not even the tons of bruises covering her. Both Beastboy's and Cyborg's eyes overflowed with tears, and they now understood the girly concept of "happy crying." Even Raven got a little misty-eyed.

"Does it hurt?" Beastboy asked, not wanting to know the answer.

"No, not that much," Starfire lied, then stupidly shifted positions, sending a wave of pain over her.

Beastboy grinned. "Liar."

"Yeah…"

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><p>Beastboy didn't remember falling asleep. But he did remember how he woke up. He'd fallen asleep with his head on the side of Starfire's bed, with his body in a chair. Apparently she'd subconsciously elbowed him on his head, snapping him out of sleep. He looked up groggily, and was contemplating sleep again, until he saw Starfire.<p>

His heart stopped.

"Robin?" he called. Within seconds, his friend was there, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands.

"What?" he moaned. But Beastboy didn't have to answer. Robin already saw. Starfire was thrashing in her sheets. Cold, thick sweat coated her forehead, the veins in her neck straining. Her green eyes were shut tight at the unknown force in her nightmare that plagued her.

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><p>"<em>Aw, look, it's Starfire," cooed a voice from behind her. Starfire froze. Chills raced up her spine as she slowly turned around. She met the narrowed, slanted eyes of Jinx, Gizmo, and Mammoth. "How nice to see you again," Jinx said in the same over-sweet voice. "Are you scared, honey?" <em>

_Once again, Starfire had backed into a brick wall. She was too frightened and shocked to do anything. Her eyes were wide, showing both feelings. _

_Jinx smirked. "Good. 'Cause you should be. Mammoth, kindly do the honors." _

_The next thing Starfire knew, a knee had connected with her stomach, and she doubled over, sucking in air. Before she could catch her breath, Mammoth kicked her, heel digging into her rib cage. She fell onto all fours, clutching her torso, breathing hard and fighting the urge to cry. Jinx kicked her over onto her side. "This is what you get for turning us in the other day," Jinx told her. "Here's a new trick I learned." Then she closed her eyes. When she opened them again ,they were glowing a dangerous pale pink. Jinx leaned back and had her left hand in front of her right, gathering pink energy to her hands. Then she released the ball of energy to Starfire, lighting up the whole area. _

_It felt like her whole body was on fire. Every cell in her being was wrapped in the electricity, and the pain was excruciating._

"Starfire."

_Her back arched as it surged through her body- she had even begun glowing a baby pink. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. Starfire let the tears flow, let them cascade down her face. _

"Starfire!"

"_Oh, so you like it?" Jinx asked as Mammoth and Gizmo looked on, entertained. "Let's do it again." _

"NO!" For a split second, Starfire's eyes glowed a brilliant vibrant green, but it disappeared as soon as it had come. At the same time, there was a crash from the other side of the room- Cyborg had fallen out of his chair out of surprise. She started to sob uncontrollably, body wracking. She was vaguely aware of her friends holding her, but she just couldn't feel their loving touch.

At some point, she gurgled out, "T-th-th-they h-h-hurt _e-ev-e-everything!_"

"It was just a nightmare, Starfire," Robin tried to console the quaking girl in his arms. Then, he mouthed to a very confused Cyborg, _Go back to sleep! We got this. _"Do you… want to talk about it?"

She shook her head vigorously, her scarlet hair flying everywhere.

"Well…okay. Try to go back to sleep okay?" Robin advised her.

"We're right over there if you need us," Beastboy reminded her anxiously, pointing at their makeshift chair-beds. She gave a barely perceptible nod as she laid back down again.

"Man…whatever they did to her, it's really sticking to her," Robin whispered to Beastboy. "And it's killing me that she never told us."

"I know! It just makes me wonder… what else is she hiding?" Beastboy replied, glancing at the beaten girl in front of him.


	6. Chapter 6

The remaining Titans sat on the floor outside Starfire's room, wrapped up in their own thoughts. _When Starfire wakes up again, everything will be alright,_ was what they were basically thinking. It was now painfully obvious that there was much more to it than that. Seeing Starfire cry like that… It was terrifying. All four of them, including Raven, would give anything to prevent going through it.

Robin sat Indian style on the floor, mind whirling. The doctors had put her to sleep, but Robin didn't like it. Just because she wasn't screaming, who's to say she wasn't having another nightmare? The thought of her being trapped with the H.I.V.E. Five in her mind was unbearable. Robin couldn't help getting angry. How could they even think they could do something like that to _anyone, _let alone _his _Starfire. It was completely and utterly detestable. He was so mad-

Wait. Robin _was _mad. All the hurt, fear, and anxiousness piled itself into one, huge fireball of anger. His eyes widened as he realized how sad and scared his friends were. They sat next to him, heads down and eyes downcast.

Robin shook his head. He was done with the tears, done with the worrying. It was time to step up as leader and take control of the situation at hand. "Guys, huddle up," he ordered them. Beastboy and Cyborg looked mournfully at him while Raven raised her eyebrows. "_Now_," Everyone complied.

"What are we doing?" Beastboy asked, confused.

"Talk to me," Robin simply said.

"Can't we do this alone?"

Robin shook his head. "Right here."

"It was scary," Beastboy admitted, hugging himself. "She was shaking. And crying. I just want it to be better." He spoke slowly, still not ready to give in. But an encouraging hand on the shoulder from Raven inspired him to say more. Tears trickled down his face. "I'm sick of being sad, scared, and worried and wondering if it's going to get better because I don't think it ever _will_," he finished quickly before his emotions overtook him.

Robin nodded, satisfied with Beastboy, for now. "Cyborg?"

"Me?" he asked, caught off guard.

"I said 'Cyborg,' didn't I?" Robin questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Well…it was scary, man, like Beastboy said. She looked so…helpless. When we hugged her, it felt like I was hugging a yard stick, she was so thin." Cyborg said. "It makes me wonder what she's _really_ been going through, you know? Like, what she's been leaving out? To think that she's been hurting for longer than she's letting on…" Cyborg sniffed. "I _hate _that."

"Raven?" Robin moved on.

"I don't want t-" she started, but a look from Beastboy stopped her. "I'm so used to seeing her smiling and laughing," she began again, caving in. "The only time I've ever seen her cry… I don't even remember anymore. It sucks, seeing her that miserable," she finished a little lamely.

"You're turn, Robin. Talk to us," Beastboy instructed after a short pause. "What's going through _your _mind?"

"Me?" he laughed. "Oh, I'm _back_."


	7. Chapter 7

The four waited for Starfire, but, somehow, it wasn't that bad this time around. The atmosphere was much happier with so much off their chests and Robin acting so normal. They sat around talking about who would win in a fight: a rubber duck or a ping pong ball. Unfortunately, their debate was short-lived, as Starfire was awake in no time.

"I think we should see her one at a time," Robin suggested, and was met with mutual nods. They generally got more out of Starfire when she was just talking to one of them, and they were all dying for some alone time with her anyway.

Robin, being Robin, took the lead and went in first. "Hey, Star," he said with a calm smile as he walked into the room. Starfire gave him a crooked look. This wasn't the sad, worried Kendall she had been growing used to for his past couple _conscious_ hours. He seemed… stronger now. More like how he was supposed to be.

"Hello, Robin," she replied, not meeting his eyes. Her chest tightened in anticipation. Knowing Robin, he was about to enter a heart-wrenching conversation about herself, which is somewhere she did _not_ want to go. Her pulse sped up as he became more anxious. Robin took a seat on the chair next to Starfire's bed.

"So, why don't you feel good enough again?"Robin asked, getting straight to the point. Starfire fumbled with her bed sheets.

"I don't know." Robin crossed his arms in disbelief and cocked an eyebrow expectantly. Starifre sighed. "They told me I was not," she said with a shrug.

"But why did you believe them?" Robin questioned. Starfire fell silent for a moment.

"Because they said it a lot," she answered, biting her lip, and Robin's heart dropped. He stared at the shrunken figure that had become his best friend. She was almost unnaturally skinny, almost being swallowed by her hospital nightgown, but she always had been. What was shocking was how pale she was. Her skin had an unhealthy translucency to it, which was frightening.

"Star,"he spoke softly, "why didn't you tell us?"

"It is embarrassing," shechoked out. Her eyes were swimming with tears that fell fast as she talked. "You always have to take care of me, and hold my hand. I just wanted to be stronger and braver like you guys are." Her voice cracked, and speed of her words picked up. "I just wanted to handle it on my own, but I could not. I am just too weak, too small, and too powerless," she spoke earnestly, truthfully believing everything she was saying. "I am ugly, and dirty, and untouchable, and I am so _sorry,_" she breathed the word, "I could not be a better person for you guys-" but she was cut off by a smothering hug from Kendall.

"Starfire?" he said after a minute, unseen tears rolling down his face.

"Yes," the younger girl strained.

"Don't you ever say any of those things about yourself again, okay? You're better than that."

"Robin-"

"No," he cut her off, refusing to hear it. "I don't want to have any talk about how 'true' it is," he commanded, still gripping Starfire tightly. "You're smart, so you _have_ to understand how wrong you are!" he said desperately. Robin moved his grip on the smaller girl to around her neck, pulling her in closer, but then let her go, holding Starfire away from him to look her in the eyes. "If you were weak, you couldn't have faced him. If you weren't brave, you wouldn't have been able to keep it a secret so long. And if you were dirty or untouchable, which you are so _not_, then I wouldn't have held you right now." Starfire looked to her feet at the end of the bed.

"I should have told you," she said mournfully, but Robin shook his head.

"I should have known. This is my fault, not yours." He looked Starfire dead on and said, "Nothing bad that _ever_ happens to you will _ever_ be your fault."

And with that, Robin hugged him goodbye and left the room, leaving the door wide open for…

Cyborg.

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><p>"She's all yours," Robin whispered to Beastboy, who gave a curt nod and went inside.<p>

Beastboy folded himself in at the foot of Starfire's bed, his back resting on the footboard. A long period of silence devoured them.

"I am sorry, Beastboy," Starfire finally said, breaking the all-too-consuming quiet.

"Don't be, Starfire," Beastboy said earnestly. "You're just… scaring me." He took a shaky breath, and his gaze fell to Starfire's knees. "It's like, you couldn't trust us, and you know you can, so I don't understand why you didn't." His eyes flickered upward, and he gasped at the tears falling down Starfire's's face, who was struggling to wipe them away, embarrassed.

"I messed up, Beastboy," she gurgled, voice wet from crying. Cyborg felt his heart clench, and he shook his head frantically.

"No, don't feel that way, you were trapped!" he yelped, voice high with panic as he struggled to explain how he felt to Starfire. It was at times like these where he wished he had Robin's way of words to help him in moments like these, where his wouldn't do.

"I ruined everything!" Starfire wailed, distressed. "And now everyone is upset and crying, and I hate it." She wiped her nose. "I don't want you to be upset because of me!"

"Starfire," Beastboy spoke softly, "don't worry about it, okay? We love you, and you're hurt. That's why we're sad, not because of anything you've done." He looked at Starfire, pleading desperately she'd understand. The girl was very quiet for a moment as she thought this over.

"Maybe," she whispered, and then her voice dropped, becoming almost inaudible, "you shouldn't love me anymore."

Beastboy's heart broke.

He wrapped around Starfire's waist, and lay his head on her stomach, fighting his urge to just cry himself into a puddle, like he had been doing all day. "Starfire, don't you ever say that!" he wailed, then babbled, "Don't ever act like I could take losing you. You mean too much to me for that to happen, and I couldn't last without you. I'd miss your confusing Tamaranian talk. I'd miss your corny jokes and losing to you at video games. I'd miss how flustered you get when we talk about Robin. I'd miss leaning on your shoulder, and you leaning on mine. I-I-I'd m-m-m-" he broke off, giving into his sobs and soaking Starfire's hospital gown through, drowning the wide-eyed owls with graduation caps covering it. He felt Starfire's arms wrap around him.

"I do not want you to be sad," Starfire said, holding back tears himself. Beastboy clutched her a little tighter.

Beastboy found it incredibly difficult to let go of Starfire. With the threat of losing her, it was all but impossible to let her out of his sight.

But it was Cyborg and Raven's turn.


End file.
